Spider-Man | Doesn't Need Help

CHAPTER 22

  "Flash, give me that back." I insisted, looking at the boy who, along with his halfwits, was laughing at me, or rather, at the fact that they had taken my backpack.

  Same thing again.

  I really didn't understand what this man had against me! I didn't do anything to him, and on the first day he poured milk on my head, I think.

  Eugenie “Flash” Thomson opened my backpack and then poured the whole thing out on the ground, which made his friends laugh even harder.

What was funny here?

  I was glad I didn't have my Spider-Man costume in my backpack, since I left it in my locker. I've been thinking a lot about sewing a new one lately, plus recently when I was helping May with her spring cleaning, I found her old sewing machine and secretly didn't throw it away from her. So I already had plans for tonight.

  A quick patrol, as I called my hovering around the city and helping out with little things, and then I'd work on improving my outfit, or rather creating an entirely new one.

  "Oops. Just don't send your killer after us," he said, pretending to be terrified.

  I understand that he was angry at me for taking his place and well, maybe a little, but only a little, I understood him, but not too much…

  "I'm surprised he put up with someone like you for so many years." He threw the empty bag at me, and I didn't catch it on purpose, letting it fall to the floor.

  Flash and his friends eventually left, still hurling insults at me.

  I sighed as I packed my things back into my bag and when I was done, I headed to my locker where Ned was waiting for me.

  We always met here in the morning or after classes, which we had separately. You could say that it was already a habit of mine, that I came here especially.

  "Hey, man!" Ned greeted enthusiastically, as if he hadn’t seen me for several days, not less than an hour.

  "Hey." I also said, opening my locker, then quickly throwing the books I didn't need in there. "Why are you so happy?" I asked, when he was actually strangely overly cheerful.

  "I passed this unfortunate chemistry and you'll be with us for the decathlon tomorrow!" He said, waving his hands.

  Oh yes, the trip is tomorrow…

  I rolled my eyes, but the corners of my mouth were still turned up. What had happened to me that I could smile so much around May and Ned.

  We headed to our last lesson together, and an hour later we left the school, saying goodbye to each other.

  I didn't mention Flash to him because I just didn't see the point. The guy was just trying to get some self-esteem because he wasn't getting any attention from his rich daddy.

  As always, I was walking to “my” alley when my phone rang, announcing that someone was calling me.

  There were three possibilities. May, Ned, or…

  "Good morning, Mr. Harold." I greeted him.

  Hogan, got my number from May, explaining that he felt somewhat guilty for what happened to me and every few days, if I simply didn't meet him, he would call me.

  It may have been nice, but it was also tiring. I didn't pick up twice when I was Spider-Man, because I couldn't. The man panicked so much that I couldn't take it anymore and decided to do something to myself, despite my hundredth assurances that I didn't want to kill myself.

  The unfortunate topic of psychologist and therapist has come up again. I think I was a bit too aggressive in making it clear that it was out of the question.

  "Hi, Peter. How are you feeling?" I rolled my eyes, which thankfully Harold couldn’t see.

  "All right."

  "What are you doing? May's at work until midnight, right?'

  "Yes. I was just going to his place with my friends from school to practice those decathlon questions, May probably told you," I lied, dragging Ned into all this.

  I felt a little stupid that I had to lie, but I was too used to it, but I also couldn't say, "You know, I'm going to change into my pajamas and fly over the streets of New York, jumping off skyscrapers, almost, hitting cars, trusting that some weird webs on my wrists won't let me down and I won't fall from a great height to my death on the spot." I figured I had to keep being Spider-Man a secret.

  "Good." He said. "I would talk longer, but my boss just came down to the garage and I have to take him somewhere."

  "Sure, sure." I said.

  This was convenient for me, as I was almost there and the conversation with Hogan was not the most pleasant for me.

  "Good morning." I frowned, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk as I heard another male voice on the other end of the phone.

  I held the phone away from my ear, checking to make sure I was still talking to May's boyfriend. And I was, so who was it?

  "Mr. Harold?"

  On the other end I heard the laughter of a man I had never heard before.

"Seriously, I haven't heard your name in a while, Happy."

  "Excuse me, who am I talking to?"

  "This is Tony Stark himself."

  "Excuse me, who?"

  There was silence, and I was tired of it all, so I hung up. This conversation had been pointless from the start.

  What Tony Stark? Maybe that Har… Happy's boss? I smiled a little as I realized how ironically that nickname fit him perfectly.

  Without focusing on the previous conversation, I changed into my suit and began flying over the city.

  Pov: Tony Stark

  I snorted in outrage when I heard the sound announcing the call had ended.

  I handed the phone to Happy, who pocketed it with an amused expression on his face.

  What a kid!?

  He was talking to Tony Stark himself! Iron-Man! And he doesn't know who I am.

  "What are you laughing at?" I asked as we got into one of my many cars in the garage.

  "I'm sorry. The kid's a bit withdrawn because of some incidents in his life,"  he said casually.

  "Is he mentally retarded or something?"

  "No! On the contrary, the kid is very intelligent, you would like him, but he wouldn't necessarily like you." I snorted.

  It was then that I remembered one of my plans. Or rather, my assistant Pepper Potts' plan, which was to take the tests I created in high schools for the internship in the tower.

  "What's his name and where does he go to school?"

  Happy looked at me suspiciously for a moment, but quickly returned his gaze to the road.

  "Peter Parker. Mid town School of Science and Technology."

  I immediately wrote it all down in my head. Well, you had to see who our famous Peter Parker is, who doesn't know Tony Stark. And who is he that Happy is interested in some kid.